old site box project

[Oceaneer99]

Before we lose the MSN site, I thought I'd copy the earlier box project discussion here.

Garet
   
Recommend     Message 1 of 9 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameRFB-1  (Original Message)   Sent: 6/20/2007 5:29 PM
How can a little wooden box that fits in your shirt pocket help promote the art of solid wood modeling?


Recommend     Message 2 of 9 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameLastvautour1   Sent: 6/21/2007 6:18 AM
I suppose if the little box holds a knife blade, a piece of sand paper and strips of wood, one could carve anywhere there is a garbage can to deposit one's shavings.

Lou

Recommend     Message 3 of 9 in Discussion
From: MSN Nicknamescottzephyr   Sent: 6/24/2007 10:24 AM
I've often considered building a small case, just enough for a small pencil and a few slips of paper.  I'm always thinking of designs, story ideas, etc, and carry such things around all the time.
Perhaps it may not be just the box that promotes our hobby.  Marco Polo's father advised him of the power of items that could fit in small packages.

Tom (aka ScottZepher) 

Recommend     Message 4 of 9 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameRFB-1   Sent: 6/24/2007 11:26 AM
Consider this;
The Box in it'self is useless, Only the space contained within the box can be used. The space is the true container. The box is simply a place to keep the space.
I have a cunning plan.....


Recommend     Message 5 of 9 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameOceaneer99   Sent: 6/28/2007 10:28 AM
Ray,

I may not be understanding what you are getting at with the box projects, but I did see a neat little toy box at an antique store last year which I thought was worth mention.

The wooden box was a toy made in England, probably in the 1930s. It opened to reveal a landscape painted on the inside of the box, along with small wooden trucks and ships. It looked like the idea was that the child would drive the toy cars and ships around on the roads and harbor of the box. You could imagine extending this to feature trains, airplanes, or cars.

Our local independent toy store (Top Ten Toys) has begun selling small wooden trucks, about an inch long, for $1 each. The wheels appear to be something similar to a button. They have a row of bins of plastic fish, marbles, noise makers, etc., and have long had metal and plastic cars, but these were the first miniature wooden vehicles. I imagine that you could assemble a fairly reasonable replica of a truck, car, train, or airplane using small bits of wood and a scroll saw.

Garet
Seattle, WA, USA

Recommend     Message 6 of 9 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameRFB-1   Sent: 6/28/2007 2:14 PM
Back in "The Day" when photographs were'nt around and you could'nt call for a referal, carpenters, shipwrights and so on, made most of their own tools. These gentlemen also build ALL of a house or a ship or a piece of furniture. The were expected to build door frames, windows sashes, and shingle the roof. The way they displayed thier capabilities to a prospective client or employer was by showing them their tools and toolbox. Most bought blades and metalwork from local blacksmiths, then mounted them in handle and bodies of their own making. From wood planes and chisels, too hammers and clamps. These tools and the box they were in were carefully constructed and cared for. Being continually updated, they clearly displayed the talents of the craftsman that built them and used them. I even have a book about them. What has this to do with our cause?
How many times have you tried to explain what a solid is? How much more it is than just a model airplane. Now think of a little box in your pocket with a few(even one) small models in it. Such as 144/scale airplanes, perhaps a small tank, a ship and a submarine. This Gentlemen is "The Box Project" and it will be ongoing untill each of us decides that he is satisfied that his box and it's contents, fully displays his talents. As well as our hobby. No rules, just remember, if you can't carry it with you.... It must also, protect the contents, for the contents are the most important thing, held in the space, that you keep in the box.
Thoughts?

RFB

Recommend     Message 7 of 9 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameRFB-1   Sent: 7/8/2007 6:30 PM
Comments, Concerns, blatent outrage?
Disapointment?

Recommend     Message 8 of 9 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameLastvautour1   Sent: 7/9/2007 4:37 AM
Sound like agood idea. I will attempt to make the box and carry one of my 1/144 scale planes to see if I can get some interest going amongst my friend.

Lou

Recommend     Message 9 of 9 in Discussion
From: MSN NicknameOceaneer99   Sent: 9/17/2007 10:28 AM
Here is a photo of a 1/288 ID model of the Heinkel He-113 (actually a modified He-100, but the Luftwaffe managed to convince the Allies that it was a completely new fighter).  I'm using Comet plans, which were based on the Navy Recognition Model plans.

I wanted to see what it was like to carve a very tiny model, which could conceivably be made with small tools that would fit in a small box.  I probably could have gone with 1/144 scale, but I was inspired by Marshall's posting on flickr of a page of instructions for carving very tiny aircraft indeed.

I bought a small knife with blades that you snap off as they become dull, but I was not pleased with it and will probably try to exchange it for a better knife.  I ended up carving this with an Opinel pocket knife, Xacto knife with an Xacto #11 blade, a 1/2" chisel, and a retractible utility knife (the kind that roofers and carpet-layers use, with a Stanley #11 blade).  I probably could have used the utility knife instead of the chisel in a pinch; I used the chisel to cut one wing, and the utility knife for the other.

Rather than cut the wing and glue the dihedral (He-100 is inverted gull wing), I carved the wing out of one piece.  I also plan to carve the wing fillets into the wing, though I'll still need a bit of putty.

Right now, the tools are in a small plastic pencil case, along with wood stock and the model parts.  Once I figure out the tools I need, I'll probably build a small wooden workbox with a cutting board built into one side.

A higher resolution photo of the model is at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceaneer99/1384441863/

After the photo was taken, I finished the shaping of the fuselage and cut it off of the stock, which I had been using as a handle.  I've nearly finished the other half of the wing.

I've been thinking ahead to finishing and am considering trying to modify a small bottle of clear nail polish to be sanding sealer (adding talc).  It is lacquer-based and has the brush built-in, and it stays in the bottle, so no need to clean it with nasty lacquer thinner.

Garet
Seattle, WA

[R.F.Bennett]

Thank you Garet, Sounds like a good idea to me, A little box with little models in it, to show people what we do.